Evaluating the Diagnostic Accuracy of Computed Tomography for Non-Neoplastic and Neoplastic Sinonasal Lesions

Open Access

Abstract

Background: Sinonasal lesions comprise a wide spectrum of inflammatory and neoplastic conditions that often present with overlapping clinical features, making accurate diagnosis challenging. Computed tomography (CT) plays a crucial role in evaluating these lesions by providing detailed anatomical information and aiding in disease characterization. Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CT in differentiating non-neoplastic and neoplastic sinonasal lesions and to correlate CT findings with histopathological diagnosis. Methods & Materials: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Department of Radiology and Imaging, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, over six months. A total of 100 patients with clinically suspected sinonasal masses were included. All patients underwent CT examination followed by histopathological evaluation, which served as the gold standard. Diagnostic performance of CT was assessed by calculating sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and overall accuracy. Results: The majority of patients were male (83%) with a mean age of 45.3 ± 9.7 years. CT revealed non-neoplastic lesions in 73% and neoplastic lesions in 27% of cases. Histopathology confirmed 75% non-neoplastic, 14% benign, and 11% malignant lesions. CT showed good correlation with histopathology, with sensitivity of 88.1%, specificity of 72.0%, PPV of 90.4%, and NPV of 66.7%. The overall diagnostic accuracy was approximately 84%. Conclusion: CT is a reliable imaging modality for evaluating sinonasal lesions and provides high diagnostic accuracy in differentiating non-neoplastic and neoplastic conditions. However, histopathology remains essential for definitive diagnosis.